It looks more evident each day that the U.S. policy against Iran is based in information from Netanyahu's Israel. What's true nevertheless is that Hezbollah (which is Lebanese BTW) was able to throw away Israel domination in Lebanon and has been a very effective warrior force against ISIS and acquiring more experience than ever. Instead of praising the better situation in Syria concerning the threat by jihadists, Israel/U.S. prefer to see Iran/Hezbollah like an enemy threatening Israel. It's not clear if Israel is a nuclear country by itself or through U.S. secret nuclear commitment. A nuclear Iran is in any case from this point of view a riposte.
1
We will never surrender! Say this with Churchill's voice. Foreigners need to study Iranian history and culture that we will not surrender specially to a bully like Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump does not want to negotiate, he wants Iran to surrender, this never is going to happen since now world public opinion is in favor of Iran. What Iran is doing outside of its borders are in her national interest and is not in violation of any norms. Things happening in Europe has not been proven while killing of Mr. Jamal, Saudi journalist had been admitted. Cutting a dead man's body is against Islam and the most savage thing in the world!
5
Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal because "it was the worst deal ever [sic]" with the main reason being that it contains a sunset clause which would allow Iran to re-start its program in ten years, if they chose. Obviously, it was put in place to curtail their current program before it got too far along, and to take advantage of the moment to diplomatically re-engage Iran in an effort to prevent their future program.
Unfortunately, by ditching the treaty and re-instating the sanctions, without Iran having demonstrated it's violated the agreement (which is still maintained by it and all the other signatories), the USA now clearly demonstrates to the world that it uses its foreign policy as a blunt instrument to foment social unrest in other countries as a way to facilitate regime change; in this case, to further Saudi and Israeli hegemony in the region, and to give the neo-cons a new war to line the pockets of US arms dealers and their crony contractors, and to justify the ridiculously inflated military budget.
Classic Criminally Intrusive Agenda (CIA) tactics 101, which is no surprise given Pompeo is leading the effort....
3
It is true that the now abandoned nuclear agreement did nothing to restrain Iran's non-nuclear aggression, but then it also did nothing to restrain the US's non-nuclear aggression either.
If we had an enlightened and responsible government in the US we would have engaged in discussions outside of that agreement. We might have engaged with Iran in ways which addressed the discord, but alas we have not. Europe is understandably going their own way because of the vacuum of leadership that is the Trump debacle.
The world is in a sorry state and it is extremely hard to see how any of this is making America great again. What I observe is more like tearing the US to shreds via hate and internal division.
4
@Jim Dickinson
Well Saïd
2
It feels like we're back in 1933, only this time America is Germany.
8
What the US doing against Iran is a very stupid all out war that is just missing the shooting, at least for now.
It is illegal, unnecessary and just another example of how stupid US foreign politics is.
There are numerous examples of black markest sale of US products into Iran as a replacment of those sales that used to come from Europe before the sanctions.
Lost of these deal take place via middle men in Dubai, despite the "tensions" between the UAE and Iran.
Any way to fight back, avoid and circumnavigate the illegal sanctions against Iran is an act of self defence.
It is time to issue sanctions against the country that broke the JCPOA and thus the agreements with Iran.
If you want regime change in Iran, it will not help you to provide an external enemy as this will only unite Iranians behind their leaders.
And it will only strengthen the resolve of any country targeted by these illegal sanctions.
But intelligence and knowledge have never been the strong side of US politics, foreign or otherwise.
The real guideline here is revenge for 1979 and frustration that Iranian are not that easy to buy as the Saudis.
We'll see more countries ignoring the laws of the US when it comes to do business with Iran, the EU will not be the only one as China, India, Japan and Russia already use means to work around these stupid and illegal sanctions against Iran.
4
Israel and Saudi Arabia strongly influence this administration's policies towards Iran. The Kushner family's close personal ties to Bibi Netanyahou and Trump's business ties with Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are well documented even if the American public chooses to look the other way. And the Israeli and Saudi influence in the halls of Congress are palpable and yet they avoid scrutiny.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have for some years now been begging America to join them in an attack on Iran, Obama refused outright but Trump has signaled his willingness to join them, providing there was cover. The cover was to be provided by Iran's lashing out if America were to reimpose unilateral sanctions.
But it turns out Iran is refusing to play that game, maintaining its right to defend itself if attacked, causing much consternation for MBS, Bibi and Trump, forcing them back to the drawing board. What evil plan will they come up with next? Stay tuned, these boys are committed to a war with Iran.
10
The Security Council is identified in the UN Charter as the institution to address global security challenges like nuclear weapons proliferation. Over the course of a decade the Security Council addressed the threat from Iran's nuclear weapons program culminating in the Summit in 2009 that resolved to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions as global policy. In 2010 the Security Council authorized resolution 1929 that imposed severe sanctions against Iran that were upheld by all P5 members. This led to the JCPOA that is recognized as being effective in stopping Iran's nuclear weapons program. The JCPOA was not designed to address all open issues with Iran.
Trump has unilaterally declared his right to impose sanctions not authorized by the Security Council without the consent of Congress that damage the interests of countries around the world and raise the risks of war in the Middle East. This action has created a barrier to effective action with the EU and the Security Council to address legitimate concerns regarding Iran's actions. It makes no sense. It also damages the capacity of the Security Council to address other crises around the world.
In the long run this decision by Trump marks the decline of the U.S. as a global power. The U.S. gained its stature through the power of its economy and arms and international leadership. Trump is throwing away the capacity to lead the world to appear strong to his base. Trump's Folly will be the legacy of his presidency.
6
The cacophony of sounds emanating from the various European Capitals is that Armageddon is around the corner with US sanctions on Iran.
Exaggeration is the hallmark of the Europeans,who barely look beyond their noses.
The EU consists of inward looking countries with short term economic gain over long term benefits.
Iran is not a simple issue.Iran itself is a Complex country with possibly the most complicated people in the Middle East.
It’s potential to destabilise is enormous.
As regards the oft repeated Oil Shortages,the world is awash with Oil.
Iran’s ambitions are beyond its borders & sanctions are in place to curtail such overreaching ambitions,detrimental to the well being of its neighbors.
Iranians are having good memories of having lost money dealing in the Euros.
2
The Europeans must stand up to Trump. They should act on what they believe in. Fight Trump.
7
This was inevitable. The world knew for long that the USA is not an unalloyed good country, as did Europe. However Europe needed the best armed guard even if he is not of the best character.
The US is less and less important but it is still militarily powerful. Thus countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, can disregard US goals when they want.
The Saudis have even bent the US to support its genocidal Yemen war. That the US can be bent to such a purpose shows how the mighty have fallen.
6
The Iran deal was a multilateral agreement negotiated in good faith. In return for Iran getting its frozen assets back, it would allow in the inspectors.
Now, they've got their money back, but Trump has torn up the agreement - meaning there will be no oversight of nuclear capability development in future. What a great deal!!
Iran has had reform-minded leaders for a while now, who would love to take power away from the clerics. They've got a young and highly educated population, with more women than men going to university.
Yes, Iran still has a lot of problems (and the Sunni-Shiite proxy wars don't help), but I fail to see why they are still considered the "enemy" by fossils like Trump, when Saudi Arabia (and Wahhabism more generally) have been the greatest sponsors of terrorism for the past few decades.
Trump's decision to tear up the agreement has angered its allies, achieved nothing, and will antagonise the Iranian population - many of whom want a rapprochement with the West. A young population which is being starved by sanctions usually doesn't end well for the country inflicting the suffering.
It has also shown the world that agreements entered into by the United States aren't worth anything, and that the US is an untrustworthy global actor. The US lost an awful lot of its reputation during the Bush years, and I don't think it will ever fully recover after Trump.
6
This is a huge miss of opportunity when the corrupted theocracy could have been overthrown from within. Instead, this gives the Iranian government to make "the Great Satan" a binding force again. And the moderates will eventually be purged and green shoots of democracy snuffed out
4
TPP - The other parties are moving forward without the US.
Paris Accord - the rest of the world moves on without the US.
NAFTA - OK, Canada and Mexico agreed to some changes that created a different set of winners and losers. Generally, just a rebranding.
JCPOA - Iran will workaround sanctions with the support of EU, Russia and China. The world moves on without the US.
Europe and the rest of the world have had no real reason to look for workarounds to the US financial markets, and specifically the USD as the settlement currency. But unlike 20-30 years ago, there are two or three trading -blocs- bigger than the US. These people are waking up and will find they are strong enough without the US.
Churchill said that Americans will do the right thing after they try everything else. The administration is UN-doing the right thing. The US is no longer a reliable treaty or trading partner. The EU and eastern bloc (China, Korea, japan) can dispense with us. Painful perhaps. But less so than the disruption the US is inflicting on them.
9
We should definitely put sanctions on Saudi Arabia
13
Trump's family and friends are using the economic and military power of our country to exert maximum pressue on .... our allies around the world who have fought alongside us in two world wars, poor people who can't afford decent healthcare, immigrants fleeing war and bad governments, the environment, and common decency.
7
The best book on the negotiations that led to the JCPOA was authored by Trita Parsi. It's title is "Losing an Enemy." That is a profound statement of the real purpose of the JCPOA. It was not just to address Iran's nuclear program, it was to address Iranian politics. The reform-minded president, Hassan Rohani, wanted to take power from the unpopular clerics, a position reflected by the 57% of the vote he got in the 2014 election. The JCPOA was intended to reward him, and thus weaken the clerics, who have been responsible for most of Iran's bad behavior. Trump, by voiding U.S. participation in the agreement, has actually rewarded the very clerics who also opposed the JCPOA. So Trump will now make Iran more dangerous, and give the clerics an excuse to restart Iran's nuclear program. His Iran policy is an utter failure.
11
Moderates v. Hardliners in Iran? Didn't realize ANYONE still watched that tired old "reality" show. There is a reason protestors in Iran chant "Dictator, Dictator!" because dictatorships don't have political parties, moderates, hardliners, or free elections. It is said that Rouhani's long service to the Regime began with his devising penalties for women who dared to appear in public without hijab. After 40 years, rest assured, the revolution is now seen as a dictatorship by the people of Iran and you can stop worrying about appeasing the "moderates."
Iran is more interested in its squeeze potential with India than in its nuclear arsenal. Russia needs a disassociated Iran to pull into its orbit. Now who benefits from Syrian disorder and Iranian impoverishment? Hamas?
4
I never thought I'd see the day when popular European opinion would favour Iran over the USA.
Or when the *governments* of those European countries would do the same.
I'm seeing it now. We live in interesting times...
6
@nolongeradoc
It's not just the Europeans. You can't enter into a multilateral agreement (Paris, Iran, free trade etc.) and then drop it like a hot potato just because the US has elected a loon.
It's one thing for Trump to inflict damage on the United States, but to tear up international agreements, alienate allies and destabilise the global order is something else.
8
Why do they hate me so much?
I live in Tabriz in northern Iran I work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and I still can't pay for my mothers meds. For the past six months prices have tripled each month. What have I ever done to deserve this?!
If the neocons continue on this path then there would be war and government will definitely send me and likes of me to war, how is it that me choking on my own blood is going to help Americas security. What have I ever done to deserve this?
23
@Tohid Noraein -- there won't be war. Many bad things may happen, but there won't be war.
The US is not going to invade Iran. Iran is not going to invade the US.
I suspect you have done nothing at all to deserve the economic catastrophe in Iran. But it is not truly the fault of the USA either. Your leaders have been ruining the country to fight religious and ethnic wars outside, and enforce religious orthodoxy inside. Your country has no economy at all really, except the export of oil. It cannot feed itself, it cannot even refine its own oil into gasoline in adequate amounts. None of this is the fault of Americans.
“Either fight to keep its economy off life support at home or keep squandering precious wealth on fights abroad."
Good grief.
Seventeen (17). Years. Of. War.
Perhaps when our politicians choose rhetoric to fling at other countries, they should remember to look at our own stance first.
9
Reduce availability of oil on world market, depressing moneys Iran receives.
A world awash in carbon gets a price hike benefiting American Oil companies and the Saudi's.
Chumps in the U.S. pay at the pump and at home for heating oil.
Mission accomplished. DT gets paid.
8
When FDR imposed sanctions on Japan for its aggression first in China and then in SE Asia, cutting off its oil, Japan retaliated by attacking Pearl Harbor.
These moves by FDR were intentional. He knew Japan would attack Pearl Harbor and let it happen so that he could declare war on Japan, then allied with Germany. This was the only way FDR could go to war with Germany which most of America was against.
There is only one reason for Trump's aggressive tactics against Iran from pulling out of the nuclear deal to imposing sanctions.
And that is Israel - which has wanted to attack Iran for years but has never had the support of any American administration. Until now.
Goading Iran just might provide an opportunity for Israel to finally get its war against Iran if America leads the charge.
8
Pulling out of the Iran deal illustrates that Trump and his Republican associates have no idea about committing to a deal made and not withdrawing from it when Iran is in full compliance. The world realizes that Trump is submissive to autocratic rulers as he wishes to be an autocratic ruler himself. Trump was foolishly led by Netanyahu, who wanted to blow up the Iran deal before it was signed. The Israeli prime minister only cares about his own interests and has no intention of protecting the US interests as far as Iran was concerned. Trump is another George W. Bush who was pushed in to the Iraq war for nefarious reasons given by the Israeli prime minister.
Our allegiance with Iran is far more acceptable than an allegiance with Saudi Arabia. We must remember that Saudis carried out the attack on the World Trade Towers on 9/11 and still can't be trusted. The Iraq war should never have happened.
21
Who is supporting terrorism? Iran supplying the Houthi with a few unguided missiles or the US supplying Saudi Arabia with thousands of guided missiles. The Houthi missiles killed one person while the Saudi missiles kill bus loads of children, wedding parties, level hospitals, etc. The US overthrew their democracy, installed a dictator, shot down an Iranian civilian passenger jet and have now reneged on an arms treaty. And we wonder why Iran doesn't trust the US. No nation has produced and funded more terrorists and terrorism than Saudi Arabia and we supply them with the weapons. Europe and the rest of the world are far better off going it alone while Trump is in power.
20
Europe is unsurprisingly shooting itself in the foot, being short sighted, and putting Israel under the bus.
2 assassination attempts in Europe was not enough for them?
Trump pulled out because the deal did not have inspections, and sunset after only 10 years! Trump also was watching out for our ally Israel, the US being the only true friend that Israel has. Europe is not their real friend, even though Germany should have eternal obligations to Israel, but ironically is leading the dissent about the cancelled trade deal.
Trump was also right, that Iran has killed dissidents abroad; and has a large missile program, which is not needed for peaceful energy use; and supports terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, and even the Shia militia in Nigeria.
The US and our allies should not support such a regime with such an ill-advised deal.
@Philly How many people has Mossad assassinated over the years? Seems like there's a double standard here.
7
@Philly The conservative clerics are allied with Bolton and Trump. They want Rouhani out and hardliners in. They will cause incidents to embarrass the moderate leadership of Iran. They did not want JCPOA and Trump provides a path to realize that goal.
Bolton is focused on regime change. Regime change is feared by Europe and China and other countries. They have seen the results in Iraq and Libya.
2
The US assumes it can cancel the deal, and Iran will not return to its nuclear program.
Iran is holding off only because the rest of the world is promising to disregard these sanctions. If the US does manage to force world compliance, then Iran is very likely to go full speed for a nuclear weapon.
The US will have just proved that they need a nuclear weapon, because nothing else can protect them from the rogue states threatening them, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. "The world" may not acknowledge that, but domestic Iranian politics will, and that is what will decide on their nuclear program.
Trump has put all our chips on "they wouldn't dare." Yet they also have a problem daring not to do it, left without a defense.
13
Anyone who is not willfully blind and has a double digit IQ can discern that Saudi Arabia is an order of magnitude bigger and more devious villain in the Middle-East than Iran ever was or can be.
47
@Francesco Assisi Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are mischievous states fanning the Sunni-Shiite conflict. Iran has at least some semblance of Democracy in a heavily biased system that gives some hope for some change in the future but not as long as Trump insists on propping up the extremists with idiotic sanctions. I see nothing bright is Saudi Arabia as long as it remains an autocratic monarchy.
3
@serban, your assessment resonates with my own perception.
I hope the rest of America including the voters, politicians, diplomats, foreign policy think tanks and the US Military-Industrial complex wakes up to the Faustian Bargain we have made Saudi Arabia and begins to gradually decouple of policies that are not in America's short-term or long-term strategic interests.
House of Saud is the single most destructive and destabilizing establishment in the entire Muslim works with global repercussions and their wings need to be clipped. This will do them and the rest of the world a whole lot of good.
1
I'm surprised how people here don't post enough comments on the recent articles about Iran compare to the Trump articles. When the video of a man says he was buying diaper for 75,000 and now he has to buy it for 110,000 - people don't realize that 110,000 was the wage of a house-keeper per day. How can living there be possible anymore? Can anyone work for one day for just diapers? what would they eat? Water?
What would you do?
We all know that Iran will be going through at least another 2 years of their toughest time in their history thanks to Trump. How tough is the question.
6
Grateful as I am for Steven Erlanger's reporting, I'm wondering what is happening with Thomas Erdbrink. He hasn't reported since August. Is he in trouble? I'm very eager to read from inside Iran what's going on.
Also, we should read about what's happening outside of the Tehran region. What's going on in the northeast, which has originated its own demonstrations against unemployment (and is the seedbed of the revolution, I believe—maybe wrongly).
We want to know what's happening in Iran. I imagine that Iran doesn't want Mr. Erdbrink to report.
3
Why would anyone in the world pay attention to what Trump and his advisers have to say. Trump has been lying in every instance when it comes to our agreements and thumbs his nose at our Allies. And his advisors lie for him.
It shouldn't take too long before most of the world wants to have nothing to do with us. All of Trump's bluster and saber rattling, not withstanding.
We are fast becoming a country of isolationism. We may have all the marbles now, but that will not last if we do not stop alienating our allies.
MAGA, indeed.
11
Our ‘allies’ prefer to buy oil from a terrorist nation.
Iran exports terror - they fund Hamas and Hezbollah, and are committed to Israel’s annihilation.
In this context, they are not our allies.
3
Iran is not a terrorist nation in the eyes of the world. The nuclear deal proved that!
9
@JMS The Taliban, al Qaeda, ISIL but to name but a few of the terrorists created and funded by Saudi Arabia, have carried out far more terrorism than Hamas or Hezbollah ever thought of doing. Don't forget the US shot down an Iranian civilian airliner. The US overthrew Iran's democracy and installed a dictator who eliminated all political opposition until the only institution left to fill the void was the clergy. As for Israel, it is presently run by right wing thugs.
4
Lets hope that the European Union doesn't except the sanctions on Iran and tells trump to stuff it . Trump will be powerless after tuesday when democrats control the purse strings .
11
The extraterritoriality (sanctioning foreign companies that do business with Iran) component of Trump's Iranian sanctions could eventually spawn the worst disruption of the world order by his administration.
Unless the Europeans succeed in finding a work around, the anger at this American intrusion into European's freedom to make their own decisions on the world stage may well permanently damage the Western alliance.
If this extraterritoriality succeeds, America would cease to be the leading partner in an alliance based on shared values, and becomes instead the biggest selfish bully on the planet.
Currently I think American allies are appalled but determined to wait out Trump before deciding whether the bully is just President Trump or the American Nation.
If Trump were to win in 2020, American allies may begin to see China as the only other bully they could cooperate with to protect themselves from a ruthless America-first-and-only stance. And of course what happen on 2018.11.06 will affect the quantity of "hope" attached to that wait-out-Trump disposition.
Canada is a small player in this, but it could easily be driven to become China's primary energy source with the dirty oil Tar Sands (reportedly as large as the Saudi reserve). China is actively investing heavily there.
Americans who fear Trump's geopolitics (disjointed though it be) would do well to (1) pray Europe finds a work around and (2) vote Democratic tomorrow.
God speed, USA!
22
As always, Europe suffers from irrational US decisions without any legal instrument to establish a symmetry. Are we Trumps banana republic ?
15
@Rudi Apologies. We have a hard time seeing ourselves as the bad actor in any situation.
It seems our watery isolation from the rest of the world has caused us to evolve in a rather disruptive narcissistic way.
Ever thought you’d see the day when you’d have to help save us from ourselves?
1
America is in isolationist mode & will continue under trump to withdraw support from all nations. Europe, Asia, Africa need to start making decisions that benefit them & forget about antagonizing the US. Soon the US will be unable to support or defend anyone even itself. trump will continue sending troops to the southern border & there will be no troops for support of NATO or allies. The war in Afghanistan will use up the rest of the active duty troops. Stand Up to US Now All Other Countries! Don't Expect the US to help anymore.
3
There's not much that I agree with Trump on, but when it comes to Iran, I am in full agreement. The mere fact that China & Russia support Iran , leaves me to believe, that we made the right decision to pull out of the deal Obama made.I have always disagreed with Obama on his feckless position on Middle East decisions.Demanding that Israel go back to the original UN Partition, demonstrated that he was more interested in leaving his legacy then considering Israel's position.. What more do we have to look at then the Rockets Hamas shoot at Israel, after Israel left Gaza.
Giving Hamas control of the West Bank would be Israel's demise.
3
@Joe Blow Did you also support the US overthrowing the Iranian democracy? Did you support the US shooting down the Iranian civilian airliner? Can you name any Americans that have been killed by Iran? Saudis killed 3000 American citizens on 9/11/01. They exported and financed the terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan that produced the Taliban. How many Americans were killed and are still being killed by the Taliban? Yes, Iran became our "enemy" when they overthrew the dictator the US installed and took Americans hostage. How many of those hostages were killed?
3
@Joe Blow
Russia and China supported Vietnam too. Does that mean you supported the American decision to waste thousands of lives there? Just because the "bad guys" supported the other side?
Israels only future is to make peace with their neighbors. If they want the land in the West Bank then they are going to commit themselves to a future of militarily occupying the Palestinians. Nothing Obama or Trump can save Israel if they choose that path.
1
@TimToomey
What has Israel done to Iran, that Iran is intent on destroying Israel. Israel is the only Democracy
in the Middle East & and a Strong Ally of the United States, The only American President that has shown unconditional support for Israel is Trump. A enemy of our Ally is our enemy as well.
1
I never thought I would sympathize with the Islamic Republic of Iran but all reports are they have been living up to the nuclear deal but the United States has felt free to ignore international treaties yet again. The proper response of Europe and all the civilized world would be to stand up to US bullying and declare a united front for full free trade with Iran and make a point of buying Iranian oil. Even the Trump regime can't ignore the entire trading world.
25
It may come back to haunt US. If Europeans
can successfully set up payment mechanism
and China ignore the sanctions, USA will
lose the dominance of its banking system
and clearing mechanism in international trade.
With the decline of dollar denominated
trade system, US can't impose sanctions
in future. If Europeans fail, Iran will also
pull out of the deal and accelerate its efforts
to product N bombs. It will be upto the next
president to decide whether to start a war against Iran. It may be another American
invasion of a middle eastern country.
14
This president is intent on ruining the lives of ordinary Iranians for no rational reason, possibly spite over the Obama accord... I am deeply saddened for our ferociousness.
23
Every ones knows what no one is allowed to find out: Iran has never invaded anyone; Saudia Arabia, -not Iran -is the chief source of worldwide terrorism. Russia must be pleased with the current disharmony engendered by Trump's wild and demagogic unilateralism amongst our erstwhile European allies. With the coming departures of May, Macron and Merkel, Trump will stand alone and isolated, and their successors will enjoy a far easier task of political disengagement. This is the beginning of the end of US hegemony, hence the end of NATO, or the end of the beginning of a new, multi-polar world politics. Alas, America is quickly becoming the dispensable nation.
41
The reporter lists Trump’s justifications for reneging on the Iran deal and reintroducing painful sanctions on Iran.
“[The deal] does nothing to restrain Iran’s non-nuclear aggression, including the killing of dissidents abroad, a large missile program and support for Hezbollah, the Syrian government, the Houthis in Yemen and Shia dissidents all over the region.”
Let us try to generalize Trump’s reasoning and see if it can be applied to deals with other countries.
Consider the deal Obama made with Israel to supply it with 38 billion dollars in aid over the next ten years.
That deal does nothing to:
- restrain Israel’s non-nuclear aggression (repeated attacks on Syria, Gaza and Lebanon)
- restrain Israel from killing its opponents abroad (Hamas operative in Dubai, Sheik Yassin in Gaza, nuclear scientists in Iran, etc. etc.)
- restrain Israel’s large nuclear missile program
- stop Israel from covertly supporting al-Nusra and other al-Qaeda-like Sunni rebels and dissidents in Syria and elsewhere in the region.
Using Trumpian reasoning we would have to conclude that the Israel deal should also be withdrawn and that painful economic sanctions must be enacted there too.
But wait - such a conclusion is obviously incorrect! No sensible person could imagine that the 38 billion dollars promised to Israel, America’s greatest ally in the region, should be taken back. Or that Israel deserves sanctions!
So clearly there must be something wrong with Trump’s reasoning about Iran.
6
Bitcoin has been looking for a purpose: use it to facilitate payments for Iranian oil, circumvent Trump's sanctions, and prevent America from imposing its unilateral will on former allies.
12
@JFB - you seriously have no idea how bitcoin works.
2
Compliance with the Iran deal at least encouraged Iran to curtail its nuclear program. What makes anyone think that Iran is not capable of swiftly developing nuclear weapons. After all North Korea did it and it is certainly not less scientifically savvy than Iran. Good luck Europe. DJT has done it to the world again.
18
Great. Gas prices that are far higher than during Obama will now be higher again!
17
@Denver7756
See! Trump is doing his bit to fight climate change.
1
Unilateral US sanctions against Cuba worked so well that the Castro regime collapsed. Somehow we all missed the news of the collapse. We can expect the same with unilateral sanctions against Iran.
What brought Iran to the negotiating table was that the EU, China and Russia supported sanctions. It is the height of arrogance for the US to believe it can force a country to change its behavior without help from the rest of the world. Even when others are willing success is far from certain, see North Korea.
26
@serban re US unilateral sanctions against Cuba
There is a major difference between those sanctions and the current sanction against Iran--the Iranian sanctions include extraterritoriality. Foreign companies that trade with Iran are automatically sanctioned in their trade with the US.
If this extra leverage leads to success, American will have transitioned from being the leader of a Western alliance in global affairs based on shared values to the biggest selfish bully on the planet.
America's then former allies will have little choice but to cooperate with China as the only other bully big enough to stand against the US. And of course, Trump gathering trade war with China, will render China cooperative.
In the very long run, population matters, and China has a lot of that.
4